Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 March 2022
119. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland has offered or been approached to offer additional resources to the Council of Europe as a consequence of the likely exclusion of Russia from the organization. [15154/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs a founder member, Ireland is deeply committed to the Council of Europe and to its central role in the protection of human rights across the continent.
On 16 March, on the unanimous recommendation of members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, including the Deputy, the Committee of Ministers decided that the Russian Federation be excluded from the organization with immediate effect.
The decision is unprecedented in the 73-year history of the Council of Europe, and reflects the strongest possible condemnation of the Russian Federation's unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, another Council of Europe member.
I regret that, through these actions, the Russian authorities have deprived the Russian people of the benefit of the world’s most advanced human rights protection system. But regrettable as it is, the exclusion is necessary, given the Russian Federation’s disavowal of the values, principles, and legal obligations which membership of the Council of Europe entails.
Over the coming weeks, the Committee of Ministers will meet to consider the financial and legal implications of the Russian Federation's exclusion.
As incoming chair of the Committee, I and my officials will engage actively with those deliberations and consult with Secretary General Buric and her staff to explore how Ireland can best continue to support the Council of Europe in discharging its vital work.
